Snoo Smart Sleeper: World’s Most Awarded Baby Bassinet. So is it really worth it? Chances are you are reading this article because you are thinking of maybe getting it and questioning it due to its price. I did the same thing when I was pregnant with my twins.
We ended up purchasing two of these bassinets and using them with our twins. So was it really life changing? Did we get more sleep? Is it worth the hype? I am getting into all of it in this post.
What is the snoo?
The snoo is like a bassinet (a small bed designed for babies up to 6 months that can be easily placed next to your bed) only its a responsive bassinet equipped with a sound sensors designed to mimic the womb and rocking motion which automatically responds to your baby’s fussing.
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The snoo was developed by Dr. Harvey Karp, who is one of America’s most trusted pediatricians and child development experts. His breakthrough discovery of the 5 S’s claim that it is the basic method for soothing babies. The snoo is designed to do most of them:
- Swaddle
- Side or Stomach Position
- Shush
- Swing
- Suck (pacifier)
Snoo calls it ‘Like a 24/7 babysitter’.
The Snoo is parents favorite bassinet due to the following reasons:
- Added Sleep – Adds 1-2 hours of sleep per night with constant calming womb-like motion + sound
- Sleep Trains Baby – Automatically sleep trains, making it easy to transition to a crib…with little need to cry-it-out
- Your 24/7 Helper – Your virtual babysitter, the snoo bassinet helps whenever you need a break: to shower, work, cook, or sleep
- Responsive – Automatically responds to your baby’s fussing…even when you’re asleep
- Mobile App – Helpful settings, daily sleep report, and tips from Dr. Karp
- Added Safety – Secure swaddling prevents rolling to an unsafe position during sleep
- Calms Fussiness – Secure swaddling prevents rolling to an unsafe position during sleep
How does it work?
The snoo is very simple and easy to use. You swaddle your baby in a snoo sack (it comes with the purchase). You lay your baby down and clip the wings of the swaddle to the clips on the side of the snoo so the baby cannot roll over. Sleeping on the back is believed to be best by experts as it reduces the risk of SIDS.
Once the baby is strapped in, you can turn it on using your phone or the button on the actual snoo (if your swaddle is not clipped in, the snoo will not start rocking the baby). It gently rocks your baby and plays white noise through its speakers.
If the baby ever starts to cry and fuss, the snoo will automatically recognize this with its sensors and attempt to calm the baby by increase the rocking motion and sound with greater intensity. Ideally, your baby is calmed and goes back to sleep on their own without your intervention!
What are some of the amazing features?
Safety
Snoo is equipped with safety features to prevent rolling to the stomach, falling out of the sleeper, overexposure to loud noise and hip dysplasia. The mesh walls of the bassinet and the mesh vents on the snoo sack help reduce overheating.
App is friendly with Twins or Triplets
You can link multiple Snoo’s to your App for easy access to all your Snoo’s, instead of having to log in and out each time.
Totally customizable
You are able to customize many of the features the snoo offers based on your baby’s preference. You are able to control the Snoo and take a peek at how your baby is sleeping from anywhere.
The feature we loved most was the motion limiter which is to limit the motion of the snoo to only level 2 while still increasing the sound to its maximum volume. This was extremely useful when the babies were just newborn and didn’t need much motion.
It has 5 different motion levels: Baseline, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4. You are also able to lock the snoo on a certain level and it will not change even if the baby needs soothing. This can be done on your app.
Weaning Feature
It’s a feature that the bassinet offers to prepare your baby for an easy transition to the crib.
30 day no risk trial
If you decide to purchase the snoo Snoo Smart Sleeper and come to find out your baby absolutely hates it, you can return it for a full refund, shipping included!
Snoo sack
The easiest swaddle to ever exist! The Snoo sack is hip safe, vented to reduce overheating, can’t unravel and keeps sleeping babies in the safest position – on the back-all night long.
The twins loved being swaddled and this swaddle was perfect for that. It can also be transformed into a sleep sack with the hands being out once the baby shows signs of not wanting to be swaddled anymore. It was one of our favorite snoo accessories.
The look of the Bassinet
This might be a personal preference but the snoo’s design is so sleek and elegant looking. It will look good in any home!
Are there any negatives?
The only negative that comes to mind is the price. The retail price is $1,495. It is a very pricey item especially for a baby item that can only be used for 6 months. But remember, the Snoo now offers a rental program, more details below!
What is the retail price?
The Snoo retails for $1,695 with the following things included:
- Snoo Bassinet
- 3 white Sacks (S, M, L) made with organic cotton
- Bassinet sheet made of GOTS certified organic cotton
- Mattress and water-resistant cover
- Unlimited access to sleep consultants, 7 days/week
- 1-year limited warranty
With the purchase, you receive a 30 day, no – risk trial.
How much does it cost to rent?
You also have the opportunity to rent it incase you don’t want to commit because you may not know if your baby will actually like it. There are two options available for the rental:
Basic
- $159 a month
- 1-month minimum rental
Newborn Special
- $159 a month (months 1-4)
- $30 month (months 5-6)
- 2-month minimum rental
And with every rental, you get the following bonus, all yours to KEEP ($100 value)!
- Mattress
- Organic cotton sheet
- 2 organic cotton Snoo Sacks
Should I buy or rent the Snoo?
This is entirely up to your and your family needs.
If you are someone who is only looking to use this for one baby and think that your baby might not even use it for the entire 6 months, then renting might be the better option. We stopped using this with my twins around 4 – 4.5 months.
If you are someone who is looking to use it with multiple kids, then buying may be your best route. You will definitely get the most use out of it and it still having amazing resale value.
If you are thinking of purchasing a used Snoo, one thing to keep in mind is that you will not have any warranty on it. If it breaks on you, nothing can be done about it.
How do I transition my baby from the snoo to the crib?
The Snoo offers a feature called ‘weaning mode’. The App’s special Weaning option eases your child’s transition to a still crib when the time comes. When Weaning is on, your baby will still get sleep-boosting sound all night—but no motion.
There really is no rush to wean. Even if your baby’s toes touch the bottom of the bed, it’s still advised that you wait until your baby is 5 to 6 months old to start Weaning.
It’s best to first wean your baby’s arms from the swaddle by letting them through the Snoo sack armholes —and wait until your baby is sleeping well with the arms free—before you wean motion.
For us personally, we never used the Weaning feature as we quit the Snoo cold turkey. Keep reading to find out why!
What accessories do I need?
The Snoo Sacks come in three different sizes (small, medium and large). I would recommend to have at least 2 of each sizes so you always have an extra snoo sack on hand incase your baby spits up, has a blow out and needs to be changed.
Keep in mind, it will not turn on unless the Snoo sack is clipped in. So having an extra one on hand is a must.
I would recommend the same for the bassinet sheet. You can order some on Amazon that are not as pricey but still fit the Snoo bassinet.
Is the Snoo worth it?
So before we get into it, I want you to know this is not a sponsored post. We purchased the Snoo Bassinet on our own when we found out we were having twins because you know…we NEEDED sleep and the bassinet promised just that! So did it work?
So first thing first (and I wish I read this in other reviews) – don’t expect your newborn baby to sleep through the night his or her first month.
If you are a new mom, you might be wondering why? A newborn baby is required to eat every 3 hours or so at least for the first month of their life. Your pediatrician will clear you when it can be okay to no longer wake the baby for night feedings. The baby will then be waking you up when they are hungry.
Twins actual sleep stretches:
This was how the twins first month went in the snoo (keep in mind they were born late March):
So as expected their longest stretches of sleep was on average 3 hours and 5 minutes.
After our one month pediatrician appointment, we got the clear to no longer wake them at night for their feedings so for the next month (May), here’s what happened:
You can see their monthly progress increased by almost two hours and their longest sleep stretch went to almost 5 hours! So at this point the twins were two months. You can also see once they turned two months (end of May) their stretches slightly started to increase.
In June, we saw the biggest difference:
Late June they turned 3 months, so the above sleep progress is between months 2 & 3. Their monthly progress increased by 3 and a half hours! Their new monthly average was 8 hours and 25 mins. Are you seeing a pattern here?
So July is when we transitioned them to the crib. Their longest sleep month average was 9 hours and 20 mins, increase by 55 mins from the previous month.
Clearly the twins sleep consistently increased as they got older.
Why did we transition them to the crib at 4 months when the snoo can be used up to 6 months?
Out of nowhere, we noticed one of the twins sleeping very poorly at night in the snoo, we tried the weaning mode, hands out nothing seem to work. We transitioned him to the crib and he loved it! He started sleeping better again. My other twin, he still stayed in the snoo for a little longer before making the transition to the crib.
Final verdict
For us, the snoo was great! It was definitely a helping hand with the twins. The ability to soothe back a baby to sleep if he woke up fussing was life changing. Please keep in mind, sometime that didn’t work and the baby had to be soothed by me.
It helped teach the twins how to fall asleep on their own. I knew they were always safe when they would sleep in it.
We absolutely loved it and think it was definitely the reason why the twins were having such amazing stretches of sleep at such a young age. I would definitely purchase this item again.
So do I recommend the snoo bassinet to you?
Yes and No.
If you think it will have no financial impact on you or your family, then go for it. The snoo bassinet is a very expensive baby item to only be used for 6 months. The rental program is a great alternative.
Also keep in mind, every baby is different. Your baby might be a great sleeper without the snoo!
Are there similar bassinets?
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4moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet: 5 parent-inspired motions, 5 speeds, and 4 white noise options, you can find the ultimate soothing combination to help comfort and support your baby – through every nap and good night
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Fisher-Price Baby Bedside Sleeper Luminate Bassinet: Smart Sensing System detects baby’s cries, then you can choose from 3 responses to help soothe baby back to sleep.
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All-In-One Bassinet, Smart Crib, Baby Monitor: This unique sleep solution combines a smart bassinet and crib, baby monitor, sound machine, room temperature monitor and sleep insights, all rolled into one.
Snoo frequently asked questions
Is the snoo bassinet safe for newborns?
Yes! It meets or exceeds every baby safety, health, and privacy standard! From design to security, SNOO is the safest baby bed ever made.
How long can my baby sleep in the Snoo?
The maximum baby weight for use is 25 lb. The recommended age is from birth to about 6 months.
Should my baby nap in the Snoo?
Snoo recommend using it for naps and nights—as much as you can. It’s soothing rhythms help improve your infant’s sleep at any hour. And, they automatically help your baby learn the difference between night and day, as well as the ability to self-soothe.
Can I use a different swaddle?
In order for the snoo to rock the baby and have the sound machine playing, the snoo sack has to be clipped in. If the sack is not clipped in, the snoo will not work, so you will not be able to use a different swaddle.
Is the bassinet always moving?
The snoo is always moving unless you have it on the ‘weaning’ mode option which will only start to rock back and forth if the baby starts to fuss.
Can you adjust the white noise volume?
Yes, however the white noise will always be on. SNO’s sound has been specifically crafted to soothe your baby. Even at SNOO’s highest level, the volume is well below what the baby would experience in the womb. In fact, a baby’s own cry is even louder than SNOO’s highest setting!
Does the bassinet automatically turn off?
If your baby starts to cry or fuss, the snoo’s sensors will automatically pick that up and try to sooth the baby on its own by increasing the rocking motion and sound. If your baby is not able to be calmed down by the snoo after a few minutes of it rocking on the highest level, it will automatically shut off and give you an alert on your phone that your baby needs care.
Did you put the babies down awake for their naps in the bassinet?
Yes, we always put them down for the naps and bedtime while they are still awake but have clearly given you sleepy ques. Laying them awake actually helps promote better sleep and helps train them on how to fall back asleep if they have woken up in the middle of the nap or night.
I hope you found this review extremely useful and if you have any additional questions, be sure to leave them in the comments!
Hi Iryna! I have the snoos but I think my 5 month old boys are ready. They used to sleep great but lately their sleep has been terrible. We’ve tried to take their arms out and weaning mode but nothing has helped. Can you tell me how exactly you went cold turkey? How did you put them down for naps? I tried to put them in their cribs for a nap today and it didn’t go so well. Any tips are appreciated! Thank you!!
[…] With the bassinet, most recommend the halo twin bassinet. We actually got this first but then we ended up returning it and getting the snoos for the twins. You can read all about the Snoo and our experience here. […]